Bonds and Binds
by Memequeensupreme
Summary: An exploration into the relationship between two future heroes, as they discover the bonds that bind them together.
1. The Beginning

**Authors Note: Hey everyone, this is my first foray into actually writing fan fiction instead of just lurking like a creep. I was inspired by the story Red Rope by OwlWanderer on AO3 (info for link to story below) but wanted to explore their concept from a different angle and show Deku as the rope master I know he could be. This first chapter is in Deku's pov.**

 **archiveofourown / works / 8887717** **(warning, this fic is NSFW)** (add . com after own)

 **I also want to give a shout out to user itsanotherfanficwriterohno for being my beta and cheerleader for life. Another shout out goes to user thelastjuan, who was inspired to create this beautiful meme cover of my story (I just had to include cause its truly the definition of graphic design is my passion). (info for link to my fanfic cover below)**

 **imgur / Gg273Yp** (add . com after imgur)

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

As with anything that had to do with my hero obsession.

It started with All Might.

It began innocently enough in the middle of my second year. I was sick of studying, so I had decided to take a break. Lazing on my All Might themed bed, I began rewatching one of the most classic All Might films of all time: All Might takes on America.

True to form, the plot was on par with any other All Might movie you've probably seen. The classic hero All Might is there to save the day and defeat the evil villain. However, it was during this programming when something strange caught my attention; the skill that All Might demonstrated when tying up the villain. He tied up villains with such speed and practiced precision it was as if nothing could escape him.

After the movie, with the credits playing in the background I was looking up to the dorm room ceiling and an idea came to me, " _Learning how to tie rope would be a useful skill"_ I thought. Which then got me thinking…

" _How did All Might tie those knots?!"_

" _What kind of rope did he use?"_

" _Where were the best places to make sure a villain couldn't move?"_

" _If the villain has a physical quick, how would that affect the knots then?"_

" _How much rope do you need to even tie someone up?"_

" _What other uses could learning how to tie rope have for the hero profession?"_

The jumbled mess of thoughts started to consume me so I did what I always do and started to write in my journal. I can distinctly remember the frantic pace at which I jumped from the bed to my cramped desk. In my haste to turn my thoughts into written words, I almost broke the pencil I grabbed. The fragmented sentences spewed forth, filling up page after page.

This eventually culminated into a research binge; which then led me to a single word _kinbaku_.

My introduction to the term came suddenly, popping up on my screen before I had a chance to go back. Initially, I had no kind of opinion on what I was looking at, I honestly just didn't know what to think. I could only recall my emotions at the time, the growing sense of mortification as I continued to stare and soon after, the feeling of my entire face burning as I kept blankly gazing at the screen. I was in a state of shock.

After about a minute just looking at the screen my brain finally kicked into gear and I came to my senses. In a panic, I slammed my laptop shut, almost breaking it in half with the force I used. From there, I took a courageous leap from my desk and back into the safe haven that was my bed.

 _What the hell did I just see?_ This thought and more ran through my mind as I hid under the covers, my face still burning.

It took several days after this incident before I could think about what had even happened without dying of embarrassment and the new thoughts and ideas that came continued to plague me. I can still remember the force of my desperation in the efforts to keep my mind off of the image; unfortunately, my insatiable curiosity finally got the best of me.

It was during a school night, about a week after the initial incident when I "rediscovered" the picture. At my second look, the built-up anticipation caused my hands to tremble and my breathing to steadily rise. I couldn't stop the tension coursing through my veins, like an unquenchable flame being fed gasoline.

The woman was only in a bra and underwear. She was in the process of being tied up, forced in a kneeling position. Arms placed on her back, she was craning her neck upwards. Looking up at the camera like she was somehow grateful to be where she was.

I didn't even know what this was supposed to be.

 _What was the point?_

It looked…..

It looks like the woman was in pain, the ropes digging into her skin. Red marks were clearly visible across her body and inspecting the image further, the only thing I could keep my attention on was the women's expression.

Hazy, unfocused.

Happy.

The intricate patterns formed by the rope inlaid on her body appeared tight enough to make breathing difficult.

 _It was…_

 _Oddly beautiful..._

Looking back, I can safely say that this was the just the beginning. That is to say, the turning point in my fascination.

From then on, it wasn't about being a hero anymore.

It began in the dead of night, after training and schoolwork. Slowly, it became my nightly ritual, to practice my craft. In reality, the only thing I was really doing was sinking further into mania.

Taking diligent care in learning each bind.

Orienting myself with each type of rope.

Teaching myself how to turn a simple material into a bound masterpiece.

This grew into my new normal, learning how to bind someone and how to do so safely. Over time, my knots became more complex and with that, a lingering thought remained somewhere within my subconscious. _How I could make someone bend to my will with just a knot?_ As much as I tried to hide my uneasiness about how crazed I was with my fascination with kinbaku; each knot eventually became a silent source of strength.

Whenever I had the rope in hand, I was the one in control.

No one could take that from me.

With my growth, an innate understanding came of not only my power, but a sense of true purpose in kinbaku. It was not simply a skill, but an art form. A true exercise of trust between the person tied and the person tying. At this point in time, I could have never imagined myself telling anyone about this. Not All Might, not my classmates; no one could know. I remember how isolated I felt back then, the disgusted way I felt about my secret. It's was all just… too embarrassing, too weird to say out loud.

From those nightly rituals, time had continued to march forward, as it does. The days turned to weeks, the weeks turned into months. Months turned into a new school year.


	2. The Revelation

**Authors Note: Hey everyone! Thank you for all the love for the first chapter, I really appreciate it. This chapter is once again in Deku's pov.**

 **I would also love to once again give a shout out to my betas, itsanotherfanficwriterohno and thelastjuan for helping me edit this** **monstrosity. Also check out the Bonds and Binds meme cover if you want a good laugh (info for link below!)**

 **imgur / Gg273Yp (add . com after imgur)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2

It's late Friday evening in April of my third year.

I have been training in both my hero courses, and in secret, my…uh… obsession…

It's been a challenge learning both. Trying to secretly practice rope tying on myself has led to some particularly….tricky situations. Thankfully, I have tremendously improved since the first time I tied some rope around my wrist and nearly caused my whole hand to turn blue with the loss of circulation. I could never forget the tingling sensation of flesh giving into the tightness of the hemp rope; it was something I'd never experience before. I can still vividly recall it all; The heady mix of nervousness and exhilaration, the beads of sweat that cascaded down my neck, the heavy breathing taking over my thoughts and at that moment, the overwhelming silence. The numbness of my hand gave way to several realizations.

 _This was dangerous._

 _This obsession could break me._

 _I can't stop._

Back then, some unknown force kept me… grounded, intrigued and eagerly anticipating even more from this mystery. Over time I began to amass a collection of books and supplies that I kept hidden within my dorm. Now my kinbaku collection could almost rival the amount of All Might figurines that I have, which said something about how far my obsession had grown. Nevertheless, this collection was not nearly as innocuous as my All Might memorabilia. Keeping it all in my dorm was my only choice, I couldn't even think of having it at home where my mom could find it. Oh god, if she found out…I can't even think about it without wanting to jump out my dorm room and run to her, begging for her forgiveness.

I couldn't even recall when this had happened but, in a strange way, kinbaku grew into a form of stress relief as much as it was a hero training skill or an art form; especially after the events that had transpired since the start of hero training at U.A.

 _Stain..._

 _All Might winning against All for One for the last time..._

 _Rescuing Eri..._

Each incident has come with its own lasting scars and recurring nightmares; each rumination became fuel to tighten the rope, to mold it to something of beauty instead of pain.

What I could have never anticipated was something else blooming within the depths of my despair.

….. a… a

A crush… _maybe even more?_

With the one person who has been at my side since I screamed out "It's your power, isn't it?!"

Todoroki Shouto.

Now, I had always been attracted to both boys and girls, it's something I have been aware of since childhood. By the end of my first year at U.A., I had gotten over my crush on Uraraka. I suspect that this was when I started to develop an infatuation for Todoroki. However, it was never something that affected my focus until close to the end of our second year, during a particularly grueling practice fight. I looked up at those heterochromatic eyes and my only thought was, _He is gorgeous_.

It was during that moment of realization that time seemed to stand still as I admired him and it was also during that moment in time when I had almost been punched in the face by said crush. I'm glad I was able to take the extra training that All Might recommended or else I would have had to visit Recovery Girl for about the 100th time that week.

Moving forward, my fascination with ropes somehow transformed into some truly shameful fantasies of Todoroki being tied down from head to toe.

I envisioned Todoroki struggling to move from my bind but still looking up to me, longingly. He wouldn't know what he needed but he would put his absolute trust in me to take care of him. He would come to silently crave whatever I would give him and be grateful for every bind; Just like the woman in the picture I saw all those months ago. Each of these fantasies came with an impending sense of doom and hopelessness. I couldn't stop my body from violently shaking the very first time some of these thoughts came across my mind.

 _I can't do that to him._

 _It was wrong to think of my friend that way, wrong to think about how I could make him yearn for the sting of my rope._

 _I would NEVER take advantage of him like that. He's been through enough._

But it was on this faithful Friday night, that my relationship with him would be forever changed.

With just a knot.

I had come back to my dorm after a particularly difficult day of training. Aizawa-Sensei decided to make class 1-A and 1-B work together on rescue procedures all day. This involved each hero-in-training having to carry victims on our backs while avoiding "villain attacks" (from the other teachers). We had to not only avoid them coming after us but also avoid causing more property damage. The truly challenging portion of the training came when Principal Nezu smashed his way through the outer wall of the already destroyed city arena, chasing us in his favorite bulldozer, the extra time running away from him made everything much harder. As difficult as it was, it was hilarious seeing Kacchan and Kirishima running away from the crazed creature in heavy machinery as the older men they were carrying were cursing at them.

As much as I had enjoyed the exertion from training, by the time I was in my dorm room it was already dark outside and everyone in class 1-A was in the common room. I needed something to get my mind off the soreness and pain that I felt throughout my entire body. So, instead of hanging out with my friends, I decided to practice on the leg bind that I recently read about in my new advanced rope techniques book; I also saw the bind in a demonstration video on a kinbaku forum. It was a variation of a classic kinbaku tie, called the _futomomo_.

In preparation for the bind, I had propped my book up on the backboard of my bed and placed all my rope at my side, ready to use. It was then that I sat on my bed and the ritual began. Slowly, I started to wrap the well-worn hemp rope around my uncovered leg. With each layer created, my thigh and calf were brought closer together with only the binding force of my rope. Each time the cord was successfully secured around my leg I then connected each layer with a knot that kept everything symmetrical across the gap between my thigh and calf. I was about done with the leg bind when I heard a resounding knock from the other side of my door.

 _Oh Shit._

"Midoriya, could you help me with the hero analysis essay?"

 _Fuck._

I knew that husky voice from anywhere, it was Todoroki.

 _Fuck._

 _Fuck!_

 _Fuckkkkkkkkk, who does homework on a Friday night?!_

In a moment of panic, I yelled, "In a minute!" while frantically trying to rip off the ropes but to no avail.

The wooden door protecting my darkest secret slowly opened and Todoroki strolled in.

Seeing me in a bind.

Literally.

The silence that followed loomed ominously overhead, stretching to every corner of the room. Todoroki eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him. Before I could even attempt to explain myself, he suddenly moved.

He muttered a quick "I'm sorry to interrupt" while turning around and running out of my room at full speed.

The resounding slam of the door sealed my fate.

 _What do I do now!?_


	3. The Other Perspective

**Hey everyone, thank you for all the feedback! I hope you enjoy this new chapter, its from Todoroki's pov**

 **Quick shout outs to my two beta's itsanotherfanficwriterohno and thelastjuan for all the help!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

It was 9 pm on a dull, normal Friday night.

I initially came from rescue training, bruised more than I was ever willing to admit. I went to get a snack before going back to my dorm room. While quickly grabbing a red apple from the common room fruit basket, I glanced around the room to notice that almost everyone else in class 1-A was out and about, looking entirely too excited. After all, it was the start of the weekend and everyone had things to look forward to.

 _Except me_

All day, there was a sense of dread growing at the thought of the training that Endeavour had planned for me this weekend. He had send me a text earlier this afternoon about how his training would be about "strengthening my quirk, to continue to work to surpass All Might". He has also mentioned within that same text that he would be picking me up from my dorm early tomorrow morning. Even after becoming the #1 hero, he is still working to beat someone who can now only barely breathe without coughing up blood.

When I finally gotten back to my dorm, I had initially tried to distract myself from the flood of negative thoughts by starting to work on the hero analysis essay that was due in class next week. However, even that was not enough to take me away from starting to delve further into a depression, thinking about the past. It took me about 30 minutes before I finally gave up, sighing and throwing my hands behind my head. As I laid back on my desk chair, looking at the bare wooden ceiling above me, a thought of something that could help me began to form. Or in this case, someone.

I had noticed earlier that Midoriya wasn't with the others in the common room. He was most likely in his room and would know just about anything to do with hero analysis.

 _It wouldn't be the only reason to see Midoriya though._

Ever since the sports festival in first year, Midoriya is someone that I have not only come to admire as a hero, but as something more. I didn't quite know how to describe it. The warm feeling that flooded my body, the desire to always want to be around him. For me, being around him—even with his tendency to ramble on—was something that instinctually comforted me. He was someone I knew I could count on to bring me to equilibrium, without fail. So, with my new game plan in mind, I headed toward his dorm room.

As I got closer to his room, I noticed the sound of loud creaking of wood with each step I took. At the final step, I reached out to knock on the door and announce myself. I had heard a responding muffled noise coming from the other side, but couldn't distinguish what had been said, so I just decided to open the door anyways.

What I found inside was...Surprising?

Well, really, I had no idea what I was seeing. Midoriya was sitting up on his bed. He had his right leg wrapped up in rope. By the looks of it, very tightly bound with some knots running along the side of his leg. He has a book propped up on the All Might filled bed frame, with a title that I have never heard of.

 _Kinbaku_?

After my initial glance, I looked up to see Midoriya's face and found him staring up at me with fear in his eyes. _Fear? Did I do something wrong?_ I knew my face probably looked blank, but internally I was starting to get nervous. It was at that point that my subconscious decided to kick in by loudly exclaiming "I'm sorry to interrupt!" before bolting towards the door. I slammed the door behind me, starting to run out of the dorms defeated. There was only one thought racing through my mind.

 _What the hell is Kinbaku?_


	4. The Research Begins

**Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy the new chapter, its going to be pretty...educational. This chapter is from Todoroki's POV**

 **Big shoutout to my beta's itsanotherfanficwriterohno and thelastjuan for continuing to edit this dumpster fire (lol)**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

I kept on glancing up at the full moon overlooking the horizon. I had continued to move forward with no particular direction in mind; The mindless exertion kept me from overthinking. It was the only thing centering me, after what I just saw.

I don't know for sure, but I guess I stumbled upon something that Midoriya was afraid of others knowing.

 _Kinbaku..._

The word that I had seen on the cover of the book was the only hint of what it could be. It had something to do with what Midoriya was doing to his leg but why did he look so scared of me? Was there something...wrong with kinbaku?

Regardless, there wasn't much I could do now. It's too late to try to go back to the dorms and talk to Midoriya. _Not that I would even have any idea of how to approach him._

 _So now what?_

It had taken some time after the incident, when I finally stopped running aimlessly. I took a moment to observe my surroundings and after staring into the near pitch darkness for a bit I eventually figure out where I was. I had run to the back of the main school building, where the library was located.

While peering at the wooden entrance, the only sensation that I could fully register was the slight gust of wind moving across my face, cooling the sweat dripping down my body. It was then that an idea came to me.

 _Research!_

 _If I knew what kinbaku was, I could make sense of Midoriya's reaction… right?_

I walked towards the library with newfound determination, pulling at the handle of the old mahogany doors to reveal the quiet space before me. The library was open 24/7 during the school year for all U.A. students but is mostly empty during the weekends. Whenever I had free time from training or school work, the library became my hiding spot from the world. With the almost ridiculous amount of books stacked along the walls and desks & chair sets strewn about, the cozy atmosphere of the library was a place that invited anyone to enjoy.

Glancing straight ahead, the only individual I could see was the librarian, who looked to be organizing some books back onto a shelf in the corner. _She would know where to look for something about kinbaku, I hope._

I strolled over to her, deliberately stepping loud enough so that she could hear me coming. She turned around and a smile slowly spread across her face. This librarian was someone who has worked here since before most students ever stepped foot into U.A. Appearance wise, she seemed to be about 60 years old. She probably recognized me based on just how often I came around to the library, but I typically don't come up and try talk to her, until now.

"Hi, were you looking for something?" she asked quietly, looking straight at me with a questioning gaze.

Taking a shallow breath in, I looked her straight in the eye and began to speak.

"Yes, I trying to find some books on kinbaku."

Her eyes widened, like she was confused? After about a minute of just staring at me suspiciously, the gasping began. She had almost dropped the books she was holding in her arms from what I could tell. Her reaction eerily reminded me of Midoriya when he was embarrassed.

"Ummmm, the only kind of books we have about… that, are in the history section, maybe try the section about the Edo Era." She quietly said while pointing toward the west side of the library, where there was a large section of older texts and even some scrolls stacked along shelves. I thanked her quickly and walked toward the history section with single minded purpose.

It took some intensive digging before I was finally able to find some information...

" _During the Edo Period, rope was used as both restraint and punishment. But kinbaku as a sexual art wasn't widespread until the early 1900s. At that time, kabuki theater began to stylize this torture bondage, known as hojojutsu, and add it to their acts. Hojojutsu needed to be toned down both for safety's sake and so that it was visually appealing to the audience. Today hojojutsu has been turned into what is now called Kinbaku. Which is using rope to decoratively tie and restrain the body for the purpose of erotic pleasure."*_

It wasn't until reading that last sentence that everything started to make sense. _So that's why they had such a reaction… this was why Midoriya was afraid…_

As I inspected each page, image after image showed individuals being tied up. There was nothing to suggest that they are in pain or hurt, at most the person tied looks defenseless.

 _So Kinbaku is used for some….erotic purpose? I assume Midoriya had some reason to be fascinated enough to practice it on himself? It wasn't like he was hurting anyone or even himself from how precise the knots were across his leg. Honestly, the rope work was cool. I don't really care if this is something that he is into, I'm sure there is some backstory as to why he would do it…?_

 _Oh god… I ran from him… does he now think I'm disgusted by him or something?!_

Just as I had started that train of thought, my looming panic was disrupted by a tap on the shoulder. Glancing up, I realized that it was the librarian with her arm stretched outwards; Pointing up at the clock hanging off a side corner of the east wall. I almost strained my neck as I continued to gaze at the clock. My eyes widened as I finally registered the time.

It was already 1 am.

 _Fuck._

Even with all the new realizations, the fact that I still have training later doesn't change. The previous feeling of dread returned as I came to realize how horrendous it was going to be with the lack of sleep I would be getting.

With that, I thanked the librarian briskly and headed towards the entrance. Once outside, I began to run in my feeble attempt to return to my dorm room at a reasonable time. I just hope that a few hours of sleep were going to be enough.

* * *

*Sources used: Vice Website Article "Kinbaku Japanese Rope History"

The Culture Trip Article "A Brief History of Kinbaku The Art of Japanese Bondage"


	5. The Light-Bulb Moment

**Hey all, hope all is well! This chapter is in Todoroki's POV.**

 **Big shoutout to my beta's itsanotherfanficwriterohno and thelastjuan. You are troopers for trudging through the sludge, for ART! (jk)**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

It was Sunday afternoon, when I was finally free to start limping out of the front gate of the house The outside world looked so bright, there were no clouds in the sky.I savored each deep breath of fresh air. I had managed to survive the training; taking each punch and defending myself against the flaming onslaught that was Endeavour. It felt particularly grueling having to dodge each flaming attack as I felt the exhaustion from my late nights of research.

It was uncontrollable, my imagination wouldn't stop with the images of Midoriya and that rope. After my initial investigation in the library, I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Therefore, I decided to continue my research to see if I could even try to understand.

 _What could have driven someone like Midoriya to do this?_

Instead what I had managed to find last night _was..._

 _Something._

Last night while laying on my futon exhausted, huddled under my mound of blankets; I had made the conscious decision to delve further into my study of Kinbaku. I turned on my mostly unused phone to discover rope bondage forums. Each page I passed enlightened me in a way I hadn't expected.

People who were bound appeared to revel in the sensation of being taken care of, delirious in the bind that left them so vulnerable. Many of them typed out the most intimate thoughts, that they had never felt so loved, some even described a euphoric rush, similar to a runner's high.

Something about that struck me and I couldn't stop myself.

Video after video of individuals using rope to bind, creating different forms with only rope as the medium. Each step taken with loving precision. The person tied would sink further into the arrangement of knots. The back and forth between partners within a scene. It was almost too much to handle, seeing the unwavering trust and vulnerability on camera.

My phone's battery had died before I was ready to stop in my studies. It was about 2 am when that happened. With no other choice, I just continued to lay huddled. Looking up at the ceiling and thinking.

I can't really remember instances in my life where I felt comforted, safe or taken care of. I was told by Endeavour that I didn't need things like affection or touch, that they were a sign of weakness. I always had to be the one ready to take charge, to fight to win, to be the number one hero. But seeing people submit opened up something that I had never thought to want.

 _Could I ever just let go?_

 _Could I ever let myself be vulnerable enough?_

 _What would it feel like?_

A warm sensation in my gut was growing as I slowly came to a realization. I curled into the blanket, forcing myself to perform breathing exercises in an attempt to stop from setting my bed on fire. The sensation continued as this thought sunk into my conscious, an unwavering truth.

 _I want someone like Midoriya to bind me, to take care of me._

He has always been there to save me from myself; I already trusted him with my life. I would walk to the depths of hell if he asked. He never would though, because he has proven time and time again that he is someone that is truly worthy of being a hero. He was someone that I cared about more than I was ready to admit

 _But how would I ever go and tell him that? After what happened, I just don't know what he thinks. What should I even do to try to fix it? Do I admit everything and just hope for the best? No, that wouldn't work._

With all these thoughts ruminating about, it was almost impossible falling asleep last night. It was even harder waking up this morning, it took all the energy I had left to concentrate on this morning's training.

With my newfound freedom, it was about time for my weekly visit to the hospital. I had a small glimmer of hope that talking to mom would help me clear my head.

Willing my body to move, the only thing I could do was continue forward. Plus Ultra.


End file.
